Complainant faces questions in rape case

Woman faces tough questioning by defense after detailed testimony

By ROBERT GAVIN Staff writer

Updated 7:15 am, Tuesday, August 16, 2011

A woman on Monday testified about the night she says she was sexually attacked by her parole officer, but she quickly found herself answering questions about her own past -- including a conviction for repeatedly stabbing a woman.

The defense attorney for Nicholas Kordas, 51, grilled the woman about everything from her five-year prison stint for the stabbing to threatening to kill her mother to allegedly seeing "hallucinations."

The lawyer, Cheryl Coleman, had yet to ask any questions about the alleged rape by the time acting Supreme Court Justice Dan Lamont ended court for the day just before 4:45 p.m. in Albany County Court.

More Information

Under questioning by Assistant District Attorney Shannon Sarfoh, the woman, 25, who is no longer on parole, walked jurors through her version of the events of Jan. 12, 2010.

The woman said she was watching television, alone in her home, when the parole officer arrived about 8 p.m.

She testified that Kordas, a married father from Clifton Park, initially told her she was "too pretty" to be left home alone by her boyfriend, who lived there with his son. She said Kordas suggestively asked her how much she valued her freedom -- then mentioned if she was worried about getting pregnant, he had a vasectomy.

The woman said she showed no interest; Kordas left. But she said he soon called her cellphone and asked her to keep quiet about their exchange. When she said she should report him, she said he told her no one would believe her.

The woman said she watched television again, but that Kordas knocked on her door and threatened to arrest her if she did not let him in. She said that after Kordas entered, he asked her to turn around and handcuffed her.

She testified that Kordas grabbed her shoulder, turned her around, placed her on the stairs and raped her. She said Kordas then tried to force oral sex on her.

Before he left, she said, "I remember him tell me he was going to see me again soon."

"I felt disgusting," she said. "I got on the kitchen floor ... and I cried."

She said after talking to friends and her mother, she called Kordas in an attempt to tape-record him on her cellphone. She said he did not answer but that he soon called her and told her if she told anyone he would "kill me and my whole family. He told me I would never see the light of day again."

She said she, her mother and boyfriend later went to Albany Medical Center and to police. During cross-examination, Coleman asked the woman about her stabbing a woman five times and being initially charged with attempted murder. After her conviction for assault, Coleman noted, the woman had more than 100 violations in prison, which prevented her from serving less than her 5-year sentence.

Coleman said the woman once punched her mother -- and also threatened to kill her entire family and burn down their house. She also said the woman repeatedly lied to an earlier parole officer.

Coleman asked the woman about being diagnosed with being bipolar and having an anti-social personality disorder. She asked her about seeing what Coleman described as hallucinations.

The woman, who balked at many of Coleman's inquiries, called the visions "vivid dreams."